Flame analyzer and flame source therefor



Jan. 5, 1954 J. u. WHITE 2,664,779

FLAME ANALYZER AND FLAME SOURCE THEREFOR Filed June 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR JOHN U. WHITE ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 1954 J. u. WHITE FLAME ANALYZER AND FLAME SOURCE THEREFOR Filed June 15. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I JOHN U. WHITE ATTO R N EY Patented Jan. 5, 195 4 FLAME' ANAT-QYZER' AND 'FL'AME SOURCE THEREFOR J 01m UZWhit'e, Darien conna Application'Junellfl ;1950;Serial No-=167791 7 Claims.

This invention relates: to. apparatus. fonqualh I tative and quantitative emission" analysis, .and morev particularly to a, flame analyzer which pro- Vides a pure flame. for exciting.thezsubstance.-

being. analyzed.

Atoms. and. moleculeswhen .excited by heat. or other energy emit light of characteristic. wave length whose intensity I is a function of the amount of substance. present. For example, different elements, when present. 111.23,. flame,.im.- part differentcolors to. the flame. The sodium. flameisyellow and the potassium flameis purple. This. phenomenon is .utilized. in one. .of. the .ele1-. mentary forms-of qualitative. analysis. One con: venient meansof activation. is the. flame of an ordinary burnergusing. a gaseous fuel. suchfas. natural or artificial gas, acetylene, etc". and. this; type ofenergy. source has found-commercial application in. the flamev photometer and heme spectrograph. As is well'known, these are useful; to determine quantit-atively'the presence of. many elements, particularly metals. The substance to be analyzed is fed into the flame, preferably in liquid .form or in solution. under controlled conditions, and the. emitted light characteristic" of the elements in question is accurately measured? This is" usuallydone by aphotosensitive' cell which activates a galvanometer'or-other"meter=- The cell may besensitive *to' light or: recorder; ofthe' particularwave length or asuitable mono-' chromatoror filter'm'ay be -used.- Speed eta-na l ysis is an outstanding-- feature-of thismethoda The detection systems in use are necessarily quite sensitive, sothat eventracesof impuritiesintheatmosphereonwhich the flamefeed smaylead to' errors of large" magnitude;

In. a flametially no impuritieswhich would affect th.e;-re-.

sults of; analysis of. a substance. When ;a flame:

is;..bl=anketed, a-sthe. term is: used herein, the. flame is completely-enveloped in the. gas.

sults are obtainable.

Thus. I all. extraneous.- impurities are prevented from. approaching the flameso, that more accurate re-;

A special-advantage of..the...invention is the.

blanketingof .the flame in an atmosphere. of

- purified combustionesupporting. gas. and. .sample.

to be analyzed, so that inthisspecialcase.all?

such gas on which the flamefeeds..contair1s substantially only purified combustion-supporting,

gas and. sample. ThispermitS an. increase in v the emitted. light. intensity. when only small."

gen and carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen;

et-c., whichcontain. substantially no. impurities which wouldiaffect the results of analysisof'a substance.

Another special advantage ofthe invention" is the 'blanketing of the flame irran atmosphere"- ance-ofthe flame is altered; becomingnonlumi- 4 nous except for-the-small cones directly above the-grid of the= burner, where the combustion takes place; Theamountof light emitted by r the flamain the 'ab-senceof sample'is thus greatly reduced, and the instruments sensitivity: isv cor.-

respondiri'gly increased inthe' detection Of -616lphotometer, for example; dustor smokeparti+ c1es-reaching= the-flame may cause jumpsin the galvanometer so large and -so-frequentthat. it

is impossible .to takeraccurate*...readings;. In a spectrograph dust or smoke.. articles1 may giver rise to spurious lines' and incorrect intensitiesc'irn the spectrogram:

It isan object of the. present. invention -.to p=ro.

videz'a flame analyzer for qualitative andlquantia' tative. emission analysis,-.incorporating a flame source. with means :for; preventing-impuritiesI.

from .enteringtheflame. 1

This and OthBrxObjfictS are. achieved? in accord-.;

t0; combustion-supporting: and inert gases. such. as ,oxygen, nitrogen,. .carb.on dioxide, air,.and .the.

like, or mixtures thereof which contain substanments whose characteristic emission lines; are:

interfered with by. the. light normallyemitted from-the flame.

The blan-ketingz gassis purified by known-methods. Forexample, gases such asplantor factory air containing: acid droplets; chemicals; etc. may

be. passed through fluidized solid-beds of-si-lica" gel,. aluminum' oxide, and the like to remove.

suspended particles. Also, the gas may be purified by electrostatic precipitators and centrifugal separators for removal of suspended. particles fromgases, mechanical gas filters and ultra filters, and scrubbers-which wash suspended partithe flame or the burner and the chimney. The substance to be analyzed is introduced into the flame in any of several Ways, as, for example, by feeding it directly into the flame, or by feeding it into the blanketing gas or the gaseous fuel at or adjacent the respective intakes therefor of the burner, or any combination of these.

A preferred embodiment is to introduce the substance to be analyzed into combustion-supporting gas and feed the gas-sample mixture into the intake of the burner and also into the space between the flame and the chimney. In this way the flame is blanketed with sample to be analyzed as well as with combustion-supporting gas.

In another embodiment inert gas is introduced into the space between the flame and the chimney and combustion-supporting gas fed intothe intake of the burner. The substance to be analyzed is introduced into the flame in any of the several ways, as, for example, by feeding it directly into the flame, or into the inert atmosphere, or into the combustion-supporting gas or the gaseous fuel, or any combination of these. A preferred method is to introduce the substance to be analyzed into the combustion-supporting gas fed into the intake of the burner.

The burner per se forms no part of the present invention and may be of conventional design. Suitable are gas burners, such as Bunsen, Meker and Fischer burners, which function at normal atmospheric pressure and have an air intake open to the atmosphere. When these burners are incorporated in the apparatus of the invention, it is desirable to completely surround them with the chimney and to introduce purified combustionsupporting gas, preferably containing substances to be analyzed, into the space between the burner and the chimney, so that the mixture of sample and combustion-supporting gas is drawn into the intake of the burner and also flows upwardly along side of the burner, enveloping the flame on all sides. However, it is also possible to employ a chimney which surrounds only the flame, and in this event purified combustion-supporting gas may be introduced at the intake, containing sample to be studied if desired, and either combustion-supporting or inert gas or a mixture thereof separately introduced into the chimney, and containing sample, if desired.

It is also convenient to employ blast burners which operate on combustion-supporting gas which is introduced thereinto under pressure. Such burners may be used with natural or artificial gas, acetylene or other fuels. With such a burner the chimney need surround only that portion of the burner adjacent the flame, but the preferable form of construction includes a chimney surrounding both the burner and the flame.

This apparatus is useful as the flame source for flame photometers, flame spectrographs and other types of flame analyzers. Because of the purity of the flame produced it is particularly advantageous for the quantitative analysis of mixtures.

The drawings show one embodiment of flame source in accordance with the invention, as used in conjunction with an internal standard flame photometer of conventional design.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit of the detection system of the photometer of Figs. 1 and 2.

The sample of substance to be analyzed, in

4 which is incorporated an internal standard, and which is in liquid form or in solution, is atomized before introduction into the flame. This is accomplished by placing it in the atomizer funnel l whence it flows through the capillary tube 2. As it emerges from the end of the capillary it is atomized by the jet of purified compressed coinbustion-supporting gas issuing from the line 3. The larger droplets of spray are removed by conducting the spray through the whirl 5, where they are thrown upon the walls and run off into the drain 7. The fine mist which escapes from the whirl is then carried through line s into the space H between the burner it, in this case a Meker or Fischer burner, and the chimney id surrounding the source. The chimney is made of glass and is placed Within a box it lined with aluminum or other heat-reflector it and provided with an optically clear window ll opposite the flame i9. At the rear of box is a black surface ill to prevent reflection through the window ll.

The natural suction created by the stream of combustible gas emerging from the jet 2!; draws the gas containing the atomized sample through the intake 25 of the burner upwardly into the interior of the flame, while another portion of the gas containing atomized sample flows upwardly over the outside of the burner through the space H and envelops the flame. Thus the flame is blanketed in an atmosphere of purified combustion-supporting gas containing atomized sample. Exhaust gases and unconsumed sample leave the system through the mouth of the chimney. The height, size and intensity of the flame are governed by adjustment of the intake valve 25 of the burner and control of the gas flow through the line 26.

Light emitted by the activated sample in the fiame passes to the photoelectric detection system through the window ill in the box. The window is positioned to take the purest part of the flame, and to exclude light from the grid 2"? of the burner and from the unsteady parts of the flame. One beam of light L passes horizontally through the lens 32 and then through the filter 3:3 wherein light characteristic of the substance being analyzed is transmitted and light of other wave lengths is absorbed, while the other beam of light L passes through the lens 33 and the filter 35, which absorbs substantially all light except that characteristic of the internal standard incorporated in the sample. Lenses 36 and 3? focus the transmitted light upon photovoltaic cells ie and M, respectively, such as iron-selenium cells, or copper-copper oxide cells, which convert the light energy into electrical energy.

As shown in Fig. 3, photovoltaic cells it and M are connected respectively in a balanced circuit with the sensitivity adjusting potentiometer 42 and an internal standard adjusting potentiometer 43 and the galvanometer as. The potentiometer 42 enables the operator to control the sensitivity of the instrument while retaining approximately the desired damping resistance. At the outset the potentiometers are balanced against a flame containing a known concentration of standard solution. Unknown sample is then introduced, and the quantity of the substance or element present is determined either by adjusting the potentiometer 43 to again balance the circuits, as indicated by the galvanometer, in which event the potentiometer scale must be calibrated, or by reading the deflection of the galvanometer. In either event the reading is calibratetlsagainst;-v lsolutionsl of 'knowm concentrate. tion.

The: sample; .ofsubstanceto be: analyzediiis; dist. persedjn: particle: form; pref erably; by; atomizing,

orv spraying. Th-e;.substancemay-beausedin the? form of aapowder, but; preferably if. itisa solid it. is :dissolved inial suitable: solvent; or. dispersed. in:;a-. liquid, which. are more easily? handled. in:- pray pparatus; Thaatomizerspn sprayer, ern e.

ployed isconyentional indesiamgand tormstno.

part of the present invention.

In one: type ot. atomizer; shown-. in; the {drawingtwo fine bore or: capillarytubesaare placed. soithat theirtips are .close to;ea,ch-,-other; Com pressed gas, such; as. combustion supporti-ngeteas;; is forceda through one tube; and as it. crosses :the; tip. of; the othentube causesga'.suctiontherein sufg;

ficientto; draw the, sample of; substance through-1 Instead of capillary tubes; stainlessrsteel hy-- podermic, needles may be, employed; Inthis type; of atomizer the tubesare greadily removed for: cleaning I or changing .to.;differe nt cb0le: sizes;- for, use with different samples;

In another type of. atomizer twof. concentrictubes are employed, the compressed.igas being passedthrough the; outer tube while;the sampleis. introduced through the; inner: tube-.. Thegas. emerging from the outentubesuckssampleinto; it by .virtueof. the: Venturi efiect; created: at: the-exit of the.tubes.

The sample may be introduced intothesample; tube-under pressuretby ravity from a funnel or otherwise, or sucked. upwards .from;-a,- supply;

such 5 as a beaker. or 5 tank; The atomizers suc'.-- tion. is .sufficient to. raise. the'sampleseyeral inch-- es. with ease. The sample entering the -gas; stream is brokeninto-afine. spray otdroplets; of various sizes. The larger droplets are slim-.-

inated by gravity or centrifugal. .force;. -suoh-; as

in .awhirl as: shown in the,- drawing; while the smallerdroplets. are carried into the vicinity of theburner. If the, gas employedis combustion supporting gas or, a mixture-containing comn bustion-supporting gas, itqmaybeintroducedxdi rectlyjntothefiame. asset forth above; 1 ,If', how-:

ever, itis. an inert. gas suchasicarbon dioxide or;

bustion-supporting gas in; the: vicinity; of; the.

burner.

. These-atomizers: are well known 'tothefzart qand;

aredescribed inthe -1iterature.-.

Theioptical' systemcollects; :lightr; frorm thet steadiest part of the;:fiame,.qrenders it;mono: chromatic. and. focuses it 3 upon. .1 the; photosensitive detector. 1 Any type of: lens :;may;- bet used-w; such as a flask. filled with. water or. Fresnel. lenses of; heat resisting: glass; To isolate. the light. it

desired to, study for; analysis; purposes; simple;

filtersimay: be irsedt depending-zupon the lightiandw the responsecurve. of thedetector. The art une.

derstands which-filtersto use forlight otyarious wave lengths...

The .photosensitive.detector--must: respond to light ofthewavelength to be studiedandrmustv have a sensitivity high. enough for the=particu1an task at-hand. In: addition it may be-of the photo.- voltaic type .soethat: it. isiznot necessary tosupply a ;current to. the. electrical. system.- Suitable" photovoltaic cellsmare the: copper-copper oxide celland; the iron-seleniumcelh In someapplications the detector is desirably highly sensitive to; theacharacteristicradiation emitted-- by only one. .of. the elements contained in the sample;

If the circuitis..provided. .with,suitable power those: conta-inedqin th .solutionsptoabei analyzedai It, easier; however, to employ. an internal: standard element; which is likewise" afiectediby the-Anterfering; element.- In: this procedure: a fixeii quantity of the, internal standard. element:

l is ;added to eachqsample to be; analyzed; Upon.

excitation lighttis emitted. by both the. element or. substancetbeing. determined and thep-internal standard, and the ratio. of theintensities of these";

two characteristic lights is determined. Any; change in ,theresults by somefactor influencing theJightintensity emitted by one element.sinn

larlyafiects. the. internal, standard; sotthat. the

ratio of the resultsobtained isrelatively cone stant, regardless of the experimental conditions a, In some instances it may. be .dsirable. to use: both2 of these procedures simultaneously,

The fiamesource of theinventionhas been illustrated-in .conjunction with; an .internalstand ard-flamephotometerbecause this methodzis-now: in generaluse. However, it-is.-to.-be. understood.

that the? fiamei red-0f the inventionemam be A. A conven s used with any name... photonieten tionalsimple flame, photometer-is similar; to that shown in the drawings, but thesecondmptical. system, represented bylenses 33 and 31., filter:

5,.ancl photocell 4 I. is .omitted.

The flame source of. the inventiongisz alsotapplicable as assource for production; of emission.

spectra; for spectrographs. 1 The technique off; using such sources. to; take spectrograms usefulla in 1 qualitative and quantitative analysis. is set. forth in the literature-:

The: flame analyzer embodying; a' flameisourcev in accordance with. the invention-fistcapableofgiving-,veryaccurate results in both qualitative-'1, and quantitative analysis.

Because: of; its 'jhigh. sensitivity: as; a result of i the virtualabsence of alt-impurities, .-it maybeemployedto..detectztracesa;

of..:elements:mingled' with large. quantities of. other...

materials.- Moreovengafter proper:calibrationwofsx the. apparatus trace elementsma yzbe determined quantitatively with: a .high degreeuof: accuracyzw Very; dilute.solutionsimay; beanalyzed quantie tatively: by; this apparatus.:.when;. the. flame. blanketed with sample which is introduced notz only into. the interior of the-flame but also in the-a atmosphere; of; blanketing. gas;. enveloping thel.

flame; Very dilutesolutions. of;.el'ements: whosem spectra. overlap. those. of the flamermay; be; ans-.

valyzeol,quantitativelyby this apparatus when thee; flameuis blanketed. withan .iIlBIili atmosphere;:-.

which may also; contain the sample.

J umps; inithe .galvanometen of a .fiame;photo:- meter are eliminated as a result of the elimina tion .offoreigndust. and). smoke; particles... So

likewise are: spurious-linesavoidediin'thespectre: gram taken. by; awspeetrograplr which; embodies-a a flame sourceof the;in-vention.;.

The-1 i flamemsource -gis particularly I satisfactory. 1 for. ,the' analysis; ,ofi alkali metals, ;since;;because of its relatively low temperature, other elements are not so strongly excited. However, with the proper spectral isolation to exclude light of uncharacteristic wave lengths it is possible to analyze for many elements.

It will be understood that various additional changes and variations may be made in the invention, and that the invention is to be limited only as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. In a flame analyzer in which a sample to be analyzed is atomized and supplied to a flame, and in which the intensity of the radiation from the flame at a selected wavelength is measured by a light sensitive detection system, the combination of a burner, a chimney surrounding at least a part of the flame of said burner, said chimney permitting the transmission of radiation from said flame to said detection system, a member abutting the burner and the chimney, said chimney being closed at one end by said member and open at the other end to permit the exit of the flame gases, a conduit in communication with said burner for supplying a combustible gas thereto, a second conduit in communication with the burner and the space within the chimney surrounding the flame for supplying purified combustion supporting gas containing atomized sample to said burner and said space, whereby the atmosphere and contaminants therein are excluded from the flame.

2. In a flame analyzer in which a sample to be analyzed is atomized and supplied to a flame, and in which the intensity of the radiation from the flame at a selected wavelength is measured by a light sensitive detection system, the combination of a burner, a base to which said burner is connected, a chimney surrounding said burner and contiguous to and closed at its lower end by said base and open at its upper end to permit the exit of the flame gases, said chimney permitting the transmission of radiation from said flame to said detection system, a conduit leading through said base for supplying a combustible gas to said burner, a second conduit leading through said base for supplying purified combustion support-- ing gas containing atomized sample to the space Within the chimney for supporting said flame and surrounding it with said gas, whereby the atmosphere and contaminants therein are excluded from the flame.

3. In a flame analyzer in which a sample to be analyzed is atomized and supplied to a flame, and in which the intensity of the radiation from the flame at a selected wavelength is measured by a light sensitive detection system, the combination of a burner, a chimney surrounding at least a part of the flame of said burner which chimney is provided with an opening through which flame gases may exit and which is otherwise closed to exclude from the flame the atmosphere and contaminants therein, said chimney permitting the transmission of radiation from said flame to said detection system, and a conduit in communication with the burner and the space between the flame and the chimney for supplying purified gas and atomized sample to said burner and said space surrounding the flame with said purified gas.

4. In a flame analyzer in which a sample to be analyzed is atomized and supplied to a flame, and in which the intensity of the radiation from the flame at a selected wavelength is measured by a light sensitive detection system, the combination of a burner, a chimney surrounding at least a part of said burner, said chimney being provided with an opening through which flame gases may exit and being otherwise closed to exclude from the flame the atmosphere and contaminants therein, said chimney permitting the transmission of radiation from the flame to said detection system, and a conduit in communication with the space within the chimney to furnish in purified form all of the combustion supporting gas that is required by the flame and to surround the flame with said gas.

5. In a flame analyzer in which a sample to be analyzed is atomized and supplied to a flame, and in which the intensity of the radiation from the flame at a selected wavelength is measured by a light sensitive detection system, the combination of a burner to project a flame therefrom, a chimney having a cross section greater than the cross section of the flame, means mounting the chimney and the burner as a unit with the flame disposed interiorly of the extended surface defined by the sides of the chimney, said chimney permitting the transmission of radiation from said flame to said detection system and having an opening through which gases may exit, means for feeding to the burner a sample atomized in purifled gas and for feeding purified gas to the interior peripheral space in the chimney to surround the flame, and means for excluding the atmosphere and contaminants therein from said burner and from said chimney other than at said exit opening.

6. In a flame source of spectral radiation in which an atomized sample is excited in the flame of a burner, the combination with said burner of a chimney having a cross section greater than the cross section of the flame, means mounting the chimney and the burner as a unit with the flame disposed interiorly of the extended surface defined by the sides of the chimney, said chimney permitting the transmission of spectral radiation from said flame and having an opening at one end through which gases may exit, means for closing said chimney at the other end, a conduit in communication with said burner for supplying combustible gas thereto, an atomizer for atomizing sample in a stream of purified combustion supporting gas, a second conduit in communication with the burner and the space within the chimney for supplying purified combustion supporting gas containing said atomized sample to said flame and surrounding it with said gas, whereby the atmosphere and contaminants therein are excluded from the flame.

'7. In a flame analyzer in which a sample to be analyzed is atomized and supplied to a flame, and in which the intensity of the radiation from the flame at a selected wavelength is measured by a light sensitive detection system, the combination of a burner, a chimney surrounding said burner and contiguous to and closed at its lower end by the lower part of said burner and open at its upper end to permit the exit of flame gases, said chimney permitting the transmission of radiation from said flame to said detection system, a conduit in communication with said burner for supplying a combustible gas to said burner, a second conduit in communication with the space within the chimney for supplying purified combustion supporting gas containing atomized sample to said space for supporting said flame and surrounding it with said gas, whereby the atmosphere and contaminants therein are excluded from the flame. JOHN U. WHITE.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Carter Mar. 31, 1931 Reagan Aug. 25, 1931 Behrendt et a1 Dec. 22, 1931 Smyly Oct. 27, 1936 H1111 Jan. 18, 1938 Engels Mar. 8, 1938 Gaugler Oct. 25, 1938 Tuel May 14, 1940 10 Number Name Date 2,270,442 Jares Jan. 20, 1942 2,532,687 Weichselbaum Dec. 5, 1950 7 FOREIGN PATENTS a Number Country Date 599,190 Great Britain Mar. 8, 1948 OTHER REFERENCES 10 Lundegarth, Zeitschrift fiir Physik, v01. 66 at 1930, pages 109 through 114. 

1. IN A FLAME ANALYZED IN WHICH A SAMPLE TO BE ANALYZED IS ATOMIZED AND SUPPLIED TO A FLAME, AND IN WHICH THE INTENSITY OF THE RADIATION FROM THE FLAME AT A SELECTED WAVELENGTH IS MEASURED BY A LIGHT SENSITIVE DETECTION SYSTEM, THE COMBINATION OF A BURNER, A CHIMNEY SURROUNDING AT LEAST A PART OF THE FLAME OF SAID BURNER, SAID CHIMNEY PERMITTING THE TRANSMISSION OF RADIATION FROM SAID FLAME TO SAID DETECTION SYSTEM, A MEMBER ABUTTING THE BURNER AND THE CHIMNEY, SAID CHIMNEY BEING CLOSED AT ONE END BY SAID MEMBER AND OPEN AT THE OTHER END TO PERMIT THE EXIT OF THE FLAME GASES, A CONDUIT IN COMMUNICATION WITH 